Sorry. but this time you're trying to compare the two which are about as alike as an airplane and a boat. While they both are a mode of transportation, they just don't have that much in common as far as how you get from point A to point B or in how they handle pain.

As far as which way you should go, I'd love to tell you that you're the one in charge, but I know that's a lie. It's your doctor's and your insurance company who'll ultimately make that choice. These decisions will be made after you've gone through the tests to see how you respond to each type of pain therapy/treatment, not based off of what you think you'd like most.

You're seeking good and hard answers but you also deserve equally as direct answers.

After having my second internal morphine pump installed last year, with my situation, medical background and prognosis for the future, there's been nothing that's worked as well, but please keep in mind that no matter which way you go, there are always pro's and con's that you're probably not fully aware of. With a morphine pump there's the awkward pump that's now in the way and many times quite bothersome sitting on your stomach. Add with that the actual location where the catheter is sewn into place in your spine. Both are annoying and sometimes even painful, but for the added pain relief it's worth it. Doing simple things like bending over isn't near as easy once you're wearing this internal device 7/24.

Find a doctor you can trust with you life. Then go from there. Unless you're lucky enough to have the resources so you can pay the 30 grand or more for a pump, most of these decisions are ultimately left up to the doctor(s) and whoever is paying for it. Meanwhile learn all you can about it so you can decide for yourself if this is really something you can live with. There's no perfect solution. Morphine pumps will not make "all" the pain go away in most situations, but it will help moderate the pain more evenly throughout the day so you can be more comfortable. Only those who have gone through the test to check first and then have been very honest with the results should consider this as an option.

The worst situation I've read of so far was when a person lied during the test about how well the pain had subsided during the test even though it hadn't. Because of their lie, the doctor did install the pump. Then the patient was upset later when it didn't work. It wasn't the doctors fault or the pumps, it was the patients yet that person couldn't figure out why their "silver" bullet wasn't giving them the pain relief they expected.

You're seeking answers and you're on the right track. Now just keep an open mind to what the professionals say and go from there. It's not an easy road, but it's one worth taking for some health and pain situations. Best of luck, Bob.